Pubdate: Wed, 10 Apr 2013
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2013 Postmedia Network Inc.
Contact: http://www2.canada.com/theprovince/letters.html
Website: http://www.theprovince.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Susan Lazaruk
Page: 10

DRUGS AND GUNS SEIZED IN KELOWNA GROW-OP RAIDS

As many as 30 people are facing drug charges after RCMP raided 16 
Kelowna and area grow-ops, including six that had licences to grow 
medical marijuana for personal use.

Police with search warrants seized more than 10,000 plants and almost 
50 kilograms of dried marijuana bud.

There were 14 grams of heroin, six grams of crack cocaine, 
paraphernalia from the Outlaw motorcycle gang and firearms seized 
from one residence that was in the process of obtaining a licence to 
produce marijuana legally, said Kelowna RCMP spokesman Const. Kris Clark.

Police also seized cash and hundreds of thousands of dollars in grow 
equipment and property related to criminal activity, including a 
Porsche that's suspected as proceeds of crime.

Health Canada began issuing licences to produce marijuana for 
personal use last year and as of December, there were more than 
18,000 issued across Canada, half of them in B.C.

"The licences were being used to mask an illegal operation that on 
the surface would appear to be legitimate," said Clark.

The odour of fresh marijuana vegetation outside a residence that has 
a licence is no longer necessarily grounds for a search warrant and 
police now have to take extra steps to have a warrant approved, said Clark.

He said police apply to Health Canada to determine how much a licence 
holder is legally allowed to grow.

The warrants were executed over four weeks in February and March and 
a number of charges have been laid and more are expected, said Clark.

RCMP are "not surprised, not surprised at all," that organized crime 
may be applying for licences, said Clark. "[Growing marijuana] is the 
bread and butter of the drug trade."

"It's not just Kelowna," he said. "It's certainly not unique to Kelowna."
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